Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is the capital town of Laguna, Philippines. It is a first class urban municipality with a total land area of 3,860 hectares. According to the latest census, Santa Cruz's population is 101,914. Since 1885, Santa Cruz has been the seat of the provincial government; thus, this town has administrative function over the entire Laguna province.

The topography of Sta. Cruz, Laguna is "characterized by fertile flat lands situated along the coastal plains of Laguna de Bay." As such, the livelihood of the town was traditionally dependent on the primary industries of fishing and agriculture, and remains until today. The town is known for its abundant coconut and rice harvests.

Santa Cruz has neither natural tourist spot nor man-made attraction; however, it serves as the business and commercial hub particularly for the predominantly rural northeastern towns of the province such as Cavinti, Luisiana, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Pakil, Pangil, Famy and Mabitac. Aside from being the present-day trading post for the less-developed municipalities, Santa Cruz fulfills its roles as service center; health, education, transportation, commerce, and social services center for the entire province. Various commercial establishments in Santa Cruz continue to contribute to its economic development.

The kesong puti (native white cheese) is Santa Cruz's pride. This delectable white cheese, popular even in other provinces and also produced by DTRI in UPLB and CLSU in Nueva Ecija, is said to have originated from Sta. Cruz, Laguna. To highlight this important product, Santa Cruz holds the Kesong Puti Festival annually. This year (2010), the festival was held last March 15-19.